


shovel talk

by totallyunrelated



Series: fairondale [2]
Category: The Last Hours Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: F/M, annoying little sister lucie, protective older brother james
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:08:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25460662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/totallyunrelated/pseuds/totallyunrelated
Summary: Based on this:Cordelia: Lucie, I'm dating your brother.Lucie: Oh, that's wonderful, Daisy, I'm so happy for you!Matthew: James, I'm dating your sister.James: ...James: you little shit I'm going to kill you -
Relationships: Cordelia Carstairs & Lucie Herondale, Cordelia Carstairs/James Herondale, James Herondale & Lucie Herondale, Matthew Fairchild & James Herondale, Matthew Fairchild/Lucie Herondale
Series: fairondale [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1854607
Comments: 7
Kudos: 49





	1. chaotic beans

When Lucie woke, the first thing she saw was blond hair spilling over her blankets. She blinked, confused. The last thing she remembered was a claw, searing pain … then nothing. She looked around, taking in the peaceful room, the rows of beds, the white sheets, and realised she was in the infirmary in the Institute. And that Matthew Fairchild was the owner of the blond hair on her bed. He was currently sprawled half on her bed in a position that could not have been comfortable, head face down on the side of her bed and body slumped over in a chair. She smiled at the sight, warmth spreading through her at the thought of him keeping vigil over her. 

Shifting, she peered around the room, trying to locate water for her parched throat. She had half a mind to wake Matthew up, send him back to his room so he could get a decent night’s sleep, but most of her couldn’t bear to wake him, not when he so desperately needed the rest. But despite how quiet she was trying to be, he still stirred at her movement, lifting his head drowsily to look up at her. At the sight of her looking back at him, he bolted up, staring at her as if she were a ghost.

“Luce?” he whispered, as if he couldn’t quite believe his eyes.

“Hi, Math,” she rasped back, her throat painfully dry. She winced, and he leapt into action, stumbling over to the next bed over to pour her a glass. She accepted it gratefully, sighing as the coldness soothed her throat. He watched her drink in silence, the air between them full of unspoken words.

“Don’t ever scare me like that again,” he said before she could open her mouth. “By the Angel, Lucie, I thought I was going to lose you - you almost died -”

“But I didn’t,” said Lucie, smiling brightly.

Matthew’s glare was murderous. “You could have! Don’t ever do that again, you hear me? I’d rather die than see you hurt, Luce, I’m not worth you risking your life -”

“Don’t say that,” Lucie interrupted, anger suddenly sparking within her. “Of course you’re worth it, Matthew, you think it would be any easier for me to see you hurt, knowing I could have prevented it?” 

“You got hurt _because of me_!” Matthew was shouting now, but Lucie didn’t back down. She glared at him stubbornly, not breaking eye contact.

“I made my choice,” she said calmly. “I chose to protect you, and I don’t regret it.”

“Why?” asked Matthew beseechingly. “You know what I’ve done. You know that I don’t deserve it, you’re far better than me -”

“I don’t judge you for what you’ve done,” said Lucie. “It was a mistake, anyone could see that. We all forgive you for it. You just need to forgive yourself.”

“But how can I?” asked Matthew in despair.

“I believe in you,” Lucie told him. And then, for reasons unbeknownst to her, she added: “I love you. Nothing will change that.”

He gaped at her, and for a minute she regretted her words, wished she could take them back, before suddenly he was kissing her, his lips warm and soft, his hands cradling her head like she was the most precious thing he’d ever seen. She sighed into him, relieved that her confession hadn’t been a mistake, committing the moment to memory so she could write it down in her latest book. She could imagine it now - _Princess Lucretia kissed the green-eyed sailor, his lips like fire against her skin …_

She was so lost in the kiss that she didn’t notice the infirmary door opening, or the figure standing dumbstruck in the doorway. They only broke apart when a furious shriek rang through the infirmary.

“ _What_ is going on here?!”

Matthew leapt away from Lucie like he’d been struck, pupils still blown wide with desire. Lucie looked to the source of the interruption, annoyed, and found the culprit to be her brother James, his fists clenched at his side and a death glare directed towards his _parabatai_. Lucie knew that in this moment Matthew had ceased to be James’s much-beloved _parabatai_ , the one who he would die for; instead he was the villain who had robbed his sister’s innocence. Lucie winced, thinking of the world of hurt that was about to be unleashed on them both. James would surely get his revenge on her for ratting out him and Cordelia to their parents by telling Mam and Papa about this, and she would have to sit through _three_ lectures and Will’s disappointed gaze, the one she dreaded more than anything. She sighed internally, but then forced herself to return to the more pressing situation at hand. If she had been caught with anyone else, she would be trying to defend him from the wrath of her brother, but since it was Matthew, she knew James couldn’t stay mad at him for long, so it was better to let him vent out some of his frustration now. With that in mind, she whispered a single word to Matthew:

“ _Run._ ”

He did, not even sparing her a second glance - she wondered for a second whether she should feel offended by that or not - and James chased after him, screaming incoherently. Lucie held in a laugh as she watched them swerve and dodge around the beds in the infirmary before finally disappearing out the door and down the hallway. It was oddly reminiscent of the way they had chased each other around the Institute as boys, except this time James was wielding a sword and Matthew was running as if his life was on the line.

A minute later Cordelia burst into the infirmary, presumably looking for James. Her eyes landed on Lucie and she gasped, immediately hurrying to her _parabatai_ ’s side.

“Lucie! Oh, thank the Angel, you’re awake!”

Lucie smiled, letting Cordelia fuss over her, basking in the comfort of having her _parabatai_ near. She insisted on drawing more _iratzes_ , even as Lucie told her it really wasn’t necessary, she was feeling completely fine.

“Runes drawn by your _parabatai_ are always the best,” Cordelia told her matter-of-factly, drowning out Lucie’s protests. She sat back, admiring her handiwork, then asked, as if the thought had just occurred to her, “Have you seen James? I heard him screaming from my room and I thought something was wrong …”

Lucie burst into laughter, remembering Matthew’s face turning white as a sheet and James’s purple face. She told Cordelia what had transpired, half expecting her to run out and placate James before he could murder Matthew. To her surprise, Cordelia just chuckled and placed her hand over Lucie’s.

“He’s been wanting to do that to someone ever since Alastair caught us in my bedroom last month,” she told her conspiratorially. Lucie’s eyes widened. 

“Cordelia Carstairs! How scandalous of you! A boy in your bedroom? Why, I never!” She dropped the scandalized façade quickly, though, and leaned closer to Cordelia. “Tell me everything.”

Cordelia raised an eyebrow at her, and watched her turn white as she realized. “Wait, ew, _no_ , that’s my _brother_! I changed my mind. Please do not tell me anything.” They both laughed, and Cordelia sighed dreamily.

“Just think, Lucie, is it not perfect? You and Matthew, and James and I. Two _parabatai_ pairs together! Isn’t it wonderful?”

Lucie liked to think she deserved some credit for James and Cordelia getting together. When she had realised the truth about Grace, about why James was so infatuated with her when Lucie had never understood what he saw in her, she had immediately demanded that Grace take the bracelet off him, threatening to go to the Clave about Jesse if she didn’t comply. More scared of losing her brother than of what Belial would do to her, Grace had complied, and once the bracelet was off James had woken up to his true feelings as if from a dream, and realised that the one he loved was Cordelia all along. And just in time, for she had almost given up hope that he would ever love her back, had nearly ended their engagement, but with a little encouragement on both sides from Lucie, they had reached an understanding and begun courting properly. Just a month ago he had proposed to her again and she had tearfully accepted, and of course the first person she told was Lucie, who was over the moon about it, and had immediately written their wedding scene into _The Beautiful Cordelia_ , featuring Cordelia and Cruel Prince James.

“Of course, Daisy,” beamed Lucie. “And when you are married, you and I will become sisters in truth.” She mock-sighed, shaking her head. “If only James were so understanding!”

Out in the courtyard, she could still hear James screaming at Matthew, threatening murder and mutilation and all sorts of things. He would likely tire in an hour, maybe threaten Matthew some more about what he would do if he ever hurt Lucie, and then forbid them from being in the same room, but Lucie knew everything would turn out all right. They deserved it, after all they’d been through.


	2. the unexpected second chapter

Lucie noted the glare James shot Matthew as he slid into the seat next to her at breakfast. Matthew carefully avoided his _parabatai_ ’s gaze, back ramrod straight and hands placed demurely in front of him on the table, as if to show to James that he would not be trying anything. Despite her annoyance at James’s overprotectiveness, Lucie could not help but find the humour in the situation. In a split second James had seemed to lose all affection whatsoever for his _parabatai_ , watching his every move like a hawk, when before he had often waged mischief with Matthew and Lucie. It was funny to watch Matthew cower under James’s gaze, and to see the effort it took James to remain stern and unyielding. 

An idea came suddenly to Lucie, and she smirked, something which escaped James’s notice as he was too busy glaring daggers at Matthew, who was shovelling his breakfast down his throat as fast as he could in an attempt to make a hasty exit. Neither Will nor Tessa seemed to notice anything amiss; they were, as always, locked in their own world, Will occasionally feeding Tessa pieces of his breakfast. Tessa had shot her son an odd glance when they’d first come into the room, but seemed to dismiss it as an inconsequential fight between _parabatai_ , which - to be fair - did happen a lot. Lucie had breathed a sigh of relief, knowing from that glance that James hadn’t yet told their parents about what he’d witnessed the night before.

Lucie moved her chair closer to Matthew, picking it up so it didn’t screech on the wooden floor and alarm her parents. Matthew tensed as her dress brushed his leg, seeming to shrink under James’s judgmental stare. Lucie acted as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, continuing to butter her toast with nonchalance. She saw Matthew shoot her a panicked glance out of the corner of his eye, but ignored him, chewing with relish. 

_What are you doing?_ He mouthed at her when James turned back to his eggs. Lucie shrugged and shot him a saccharine smile. He looked as if he were about to respond, but James lifted his head and his mouth immediately snapped shut. Lucie stifled a laugh. This was honestly the best entertainment she could ask for; she did feel a little bad for Matthew, but James would get over it soon enough. He could never stay mad at Matthew for long.

“Math, could you pass me the jam, please?” Lucie asked, batting her eyelashes. James switched his glare to her. She smirked back; his frown deepened.

Matthew looked torn between bolting and complying with her request. She turned up the wattage of her smile and he visibly caved, handing her the jar of jam. As he did, she blatantly slipped her hand around his where he was holding the jar, smiling coyly. He blushed tomato red, momentarily forgetting about her brother - until James cleared his throat pointedly, causing Matthew to snatch his hand away immediately. Lucie rescued the jar before it could smash apart on the table, opening it and spreading jam on her toast in a satisfied manner. 

“Where is Cordelia, James?” she asked next, to derail James’s thoughts. Sure enough, he tore his gaze away from Matthew and immediately blushed at the mention of Cordelia. Oh, this was _fun_ , thought Lucie in delight. It was almost like writing a story, except with real-life people. Was this why people became directors in the theatre?

“She’s _your parabatai_ ,” said James, trying unsuccessfully to tone down his blush.

“She’s _your_ fiancée,” Lucie shot back. James opened his mouth then closed it again, unable to think of a retort for that. He glared at her instead; she grinned back. Though mostly she and James got along spectacularly, he was still her brother, and getting on each other’s nerves was practically in their blood. Not much made her as happy as teasing James did.

“Are we discussing wedding plans now?” Will asked suddenly, interest piqued at the mention of Cordelia. Beside him, Tessa narrowed her eyes at Lucie’s proximity to Matthew, raising an eyebrow at her daughter. Lucie smiled sheepishly, cursing the way her mother’s sharp eyes missed nothing. It had been that way ever since they were young; Will would often turn a blind eye to their mischief, or join in depending on his mood, but Tessa? It was often like she had a sixth sense built in for her children; she could always tell when they were up to something, or when they were upset.

“Oh, yes,” Lucie answered before James could. He drew a hand across his throat frantically, telling her to _cut it out_ , but she carried on blithely. “James was just telling us all about how he would absolutely love your input on the wedding, Papa.”

James gaped furiously at her. _You are so dead,_ he mouthed at her as Will’s eyes lit up. He immediately launched into a tirade about wedding arrangements, complete with anecdotes about his and Tessa’s wedding. Lucie smirked, victorious. It would likely take him half the day to let James go, which meant that she and Matthew could be together without worrying about James hovering.

 _Good-bye, now,_ she waved at James cheerily, hastily excusing herself from the table and dragging Matthew with her. Unable to do anything except bore holes in her with his eyes, James gritted his teeth through a smile and attempted to murder her with his gaze. Unbothered, Lucie escaped, holding in a laugh, though she was all too aware of her mother’s knowing gaze on her back, a gaze which bore a weight that James’s did not.

* * *

“Lucie Herondale, you are an evil genius,” Matthew declared. They were lounging in the Institute’s second drawing room, the one that was rarely used. It was much smaller than the main drawing room, but Lucie personally preferred it, as it gave off a cozy, homey atmosphere that the main room lacked. She hadn’t dared bring Matthew up to her bedroom. Though they’d been alone there plenty of times before, this time it seemed somehow different. More scandalous. There was also the fact that James would go absolutely ballistic if he found them alone together in her bedroom. Before, he’d known that she saw Matthew as practically another brother, hadn’t regarded it as anything inappropriate, but after what he’d witnessed, he might actually murder Matthew.

“I shall take that as a compliment,” Lucie said. She pictured James still stuck in the dining room listening to their father and giggled out loud. She loved her papa to death, but there was really only so much Carstairs fangirling one could take until they went out of their mind. He had an almost unhealthy obsession over anything and everything Carstairs, even including Alastair Carstairs, who - even though he had improved - had been the biggest prick Lucie ever had the displeasure of knowing. (Well, actually, Charles Fairchild was a bigger prick.)

“What are you thinking about, Luce?” asked Matthew. He’d picked up her hand and was idly playing with her fingers; though a small action, one that Lucie doubted he was even aware of, it brought a blush to her cheeks. Every time he touched her it sent a shock through her. She was acutely aware of her bare skin pressed against his, their shoulders touching.

“How furious James will be when he figures out that I orchestrated the whole thing at breakfast to get away from him,” answered Lucie, snickering as she pictured the thunderous look on his face. Matthew flinched, throwing his head back with a groan. Then he leapt off the couch dramatically, kneeling at her feet with an earnest expression on his face, still clutching her hand. 

“Never fear, I will brave James’s wrath for you,” he declared. “Anything for you, Luce.”

She laughed, feeling as if her heart would burst. 

The door creaked open and they both froze, turning to look with their hearts in their throats. Lucie prepared to explain herself to her parents, or to run away from James, but it was Cordelia who poked her head through the door. 

“Hello,” she said pleasantly, but then her jaw dropped as she beheld the position they were in. “Are you-?”

Lucie, realising how this must look to her _parabatai_ , scrambled to her feet hastily, hauling Matthew up with her. She started to speak, to tell Cordelia it wasn’t what it looked like, but Cordelia said, a trace of amusement in her voice, “I was under the impression that you had only begun courting yesterday. Is it not too soon to become engaged?”

Lucie flushed, not daring to look at Matthew. “You and James started off your relationship with an engagement,” she mumbled sulkily.

Cordelia laughed. “Fair point.” She took a step into the room, eyeing them. “I must say, though, it does not seem appropriate to leave you in here alone. Perhaps I should stay.”

Lucie was very sure her complexion now resembled a ripe tomato, but her voice came out steady as she said, “I think not, Daisy. You do owe me a favour.”

“What…” Cordelia started, then winced, remembering. She had begged Lucie to cover for her last week when she came to the Institute to see James under the guise of coming to train with Lucie. Being a good _parabatai_ , Lucie had of course agreed, hadn’t even planned to ask her a favour in return, but when opportunity came of course she seized it. Cordelia hesitated, but Lucie sent her a pleading look, widening her eyes comically. She sighed, nodding, though she shot a threatening glare at Matthew, who cowered. “You had better not do anything, or you will have me to answer to.” With that, she swept out of the room, winking at Lucie as she shut the door.

Matthew collapsed on the couch with a put-upon sigh. “You know, Cordelia is actually scarier than James,” he confided. “Don’t tell James I said that, though. He will make sure to murder me slowly.”

Lucie giggled. “It would be a shame if you were murdered,” she said lowly. She pulled him up so they were facing each other, and leaned in. “It would mean we couldn’t do this anymore.”

Their lips touched, and all thoughts of James flew out of her head. There was only Matthew, his lips on hers, his hands in her hair, her arms around his neck. Her lips parted and his tongue slipped in, exploring; it was a foreign feeling, thought Lucie, but quite pleasant. At last he drew back, both of them panting shallowly, and took her hands in his, looking up at her with a serious expression.

“Lucie Herondale,” he said, and for a single moment she thought he really was about to propose, had absolutely no idea what she would say if he did, “would you do me the honor of allowing me to court you? You are the most important person to me, and I would like to do this right. To give you everything that you deserve and more.”

“Yes,” she breathed. “Yes, yes, of course.” She couldn’t decide whether or not she was disappointed that it hadn’t been a proposal, but there was time enough for that. They had their whole lives ahead of them.


End file.
